From Phil Dourado, the Web Content Director at eCustomerServiceWorld.com as part of the tip of the week within the Start the week newsletter:
“The customer no longer knows what is possible”.
- Sony founder Akio Morita on the limits of researching customer opinion when innovating in a fast-changing, chaotic world. Too many organizations kill an idea too early because customers don’t accept it in test marketing. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith, based on your perception of latent needs and unrealised wants.
SOURCE: Crawford Hollingworth, CEO, Headlight Vision, a company that researches the future
A great line that conflicts in some levels with the oft quoted truism 'the customer is always right' and the constant new era marketing mantra, be customer centric (give them what they want). How many of us knew we wanted an iPod or a Smartphone or Broadband before we saw it, experienced it, loved it and wanted more? I think Tom Peters often hammers on the line of Fail often and fail early or Fire, Fire Fire (replacing ready, aim, fire).
Also talked about some of this at College last night when we focused on Value Based marketing. This is about a complete change in the way a firm is organised to drive marketing to a wholistic company wide approach that adds value for customers and consequently shareholders.
Ideas to get into the head:
Change is a constant; we can not sit still and wait for the market to change to our benefit. We have to change (innovate, be creative) to meet the market and that isn't easy.
Value has to be at the heart of everything we do: operations, products, vision, systems.